"Frightened of the potential that a vast automated intelligence represents, we often portray sentient intelligences as the equivalent of machine godsones that, in many cases, find us wanting. The concept of a homicidal machine or computer isn't just common; it has a become a trope of modern science fiction."  From an article by Mark Hachman in PC Magazine, April 15, 2013

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Did You Know?

You may have guessed that "sentient" has something to do with the senses. The initial spelling "sent-" or "sens-" is often a giveaway for such a meaning. A "sentient" being is one who perceives and responds to sensations of whatever kindsight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. "Sentient" ultimately comes from the Latin verb "sentire," which means "to feel" or "to perceive" and is related to the noun "sensus," meaning "sense." A few related English words are "sentiment" and "sentimental," which have to do with emotions, and "sensual," which relates to more physical "sensations."

Test Your Memory: What is the meaning of "ceorl," our Word of the Day from April 29? The answer is